Distribution of erosion intensity in the Jingjiang reach influenced by the Three Gorges Dam

Elucidation of the fluvial processes influenced by dams provides better understanding of river protection and basin management. However, less attention has been given to the erosion intensity distribution of riverbeds and its association with channel morphology and hydrological conditions. Based on hydrological and topographic data, the spatial and temporal distributions of erosion intensity (2002–2014) influenced by the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) were analyzed for the Jingjiang reach of the Yangtze River. The mechanisms underlying the distribution of erosion intensity in response to hydrological conditions were investigated. The results are as follows: (1) The erosion intensities of different discharges were not uniform, and moderate flow (10 000–27 000 m³/s) produced the largest erosion magnitude among all flow ranges. Owing to the hydrological changes caused by flood reduction and prolongation of moderate flow duration after the TGD began operating, up to 70% of the erosion amount was caused by moderate flows. (2) The lateral distribution of erosion intensity was extremely uneven, as the proportion of cumulative erosion of the low‐flow channel within the bankfull channel reached 88% in 2013. This caused the channel to become narrower and deeper. (3) The longitudinal distribution of erosion intensity was inhomogeneous. The erosion intensity in the wide reaches was greater than that in the narrow reaches, leading to smaller differences in channel morphology along the river. (4) Changes in hydrological conditions influenced by the TGD, significant reduction of sediment concentration along with flood abatement, and increased duration of moderate flow discharges were the main factors affecting erosion distribution in the post‐dam period. Our conclusions can be applied to the Yangtze River as a basis for riverbed change estimations, and river management strategies. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using ANNs to analyse effects of the Three Gorges Dam on sedimentation in Dongting Lake,China

Since a river system is a unidirectional network, the upstream influencing factors often interfere with those downstream. We quantify the effects of the TGD on the sediment exchange processes between the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake. Based on yearly sediment load data from 1981 to 2008, two multi-layer perceptron (MLP) models were constructed to predict the potential sedimentation in Dongting Lake without implementation of the TGD. The sediment discharge at Yichang station decreased from 622.5 to 61.1 Mt/year between 1981–1985 and 2003–2008, while the sedimentation in Dongting Lake reduced from 127.3 to 6.6 Mt/year. The MLP models indicate that only 27.9% of the decreased sediment load at Yichang station and 16.9% of that in Dongting Lake is caused by the TGD, while the rest is caused mostly by other upstream climate variations and anthropogenic impacts.

EDITOR A. Castellarin; ASSOCIATE EDITORN. Ilich     

The effects of pre-season high flows,climate, and the Three Gorges Dam on low flow at the Three Gorges Region,China

The efficient operation of a multipurpose reservoir requires information on high and low flows. However, analyses of inflows for high flows and for low flows are typically done independently. In this paper, we considered the joint dependence of the low flow on the preceding high flow volume and duration for the wet season in the Three Gorges region of the Yangtze River Basin in China. High flow volume and duration were found to have a strong association with the annual minimum 7-day flow in Cuntan, Wanxian, and Yichang stations. Furthermore, we identified the Arctic Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and snow cover in the Tibetan Plateau to have statistically significant teleconnections with the annual minimum 7-day flow. Bayesian models that consider a different level of pooling of the site by site regressions were then developed for the annual minimum 7-day flow conditional on the climate indices and high flow volume (or duration). The full pooling model performed best, suggesting that a homogeneous regional response is best identified given the global climate predictors. Statistics such as the deviance information criterion and reduction of error, coefficient of efficiency, and coverage rate under cross validation indicate the good performance of the model. Snow cover in the western Tibetan Plateau and high flow volume were identified as the most influential factors of the annual minimum 7-day flow through their impact on water storage in the basin. Recent simulations since June 2003, when the Three Gorges Dam operation started, were used to analyse the effect of dam operation on the annual minimum 7-day flow. A comparison of observations and predictions during the post-dam period demonstrated that the dam operation effectively modifies the annual minimum 7-day flow period to have higher flows.     

长江三峡工程库首区胡家坪 M_S4.1水库诱发地震研究

本文在系统收集有关资料并对地震现场进行考察的基础上,分析了2008年11月22日发生在秭归县归州镇香溪村胡家坪 M_S4.1级地震及其发生的地质-水文地质与地震活动背景条件,介绍了地震灾害. 并进一步讨论了相关的地震前兆异常、地震成因等科学问题,认为该地震是在水库水体荷载与库水下渗的共同作用下沿仙女山断裂发生的构造型水库诱发地震, 并认为震前有一定的前兆异常,这个地震的发生除了水库蓄水作用之外,可能还与汶川地震对该区应力场的影响有关.     

The impact of the Three Gorges Dam on summer streamflow in the Yangtze River Basin

The Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest capacity hydropower station located in the Hubei province along the Yangtze River in China, which began operations in 2003. The dam also functions to store and regulate the downstream releases of water in order to provide flood control and navigational support in addition to hydropower generation. Flow regulation is particularly important for alleviating the impacts of low- and high-flow events during the summer rainy season (June, July, and August). The impact of dam operations on summer flows is the focus of this work. Naturalized flows are modelled using a canonical correlation analysis and covariates of subbasin-scale precipitation resulting in good model skill with an average correlation of 0.92. The model is then used to estimate natural flows in the period after dam operation. A comparison between modelled and gauged streamflow post 2003 is made and the impact of the dam on downstream flow is assessed. Streamflow variability is found to be strongly related to rainfall variability. An analysis of regional streamflow variability across the Yangtze River Basin showed a mode of spatially negatively correlated variability between the upper and lower basin areas. The Three Gorges Dam likely mitigated the occurrence of high-flow events at Yichang station located near the dam. However, the high flow at the remaining stations in the lower reach is not noticeably alleviated due to the diminishing influence of the dam on distant downstream flows and the impact of the lakes downstream of the dam that act to attenuate flows. Three types of flow regime changes between naturalized and observed flows were defined and used to assess the changes in the occurrence of high- and low-flow events resulting from dam operations.     

An improved nonstationary model for flood frequency analysis and its implication for the Three Gorges Dam,China

This study proposes an improved nonstationary model for flood frequency analysis by investigating the relationship between flood peak and flood volume, using the Three Gorges Dam (TGD), China, for verification. First, the generalized additive model for location, scale and shape (GAMLSS) is used as the prior distribution. Then, under Bayesian theory, the prior distribution is updated using the conditional distribution, which is derived from the copula function. The results show that the improvement of the proposed model is significant compared with the GAMLSS-based prior distribution. Meanwhile, selection of a suitable prior distribution has a significant effect on the results of the improvement. For applications to the TGD, the nonstationary model can obviously increase the engineering management benefits and reduce the perceived risks of large floods. This study provides guidance for the dynamic management of hydraulic engineering under nonstationary conditions.     

三峡大坝上下游水质时空变化特征

为探索三峡大坝上下游（坝上99.9 km、坝下63.0 km、全长162.9 km）水质时空变化特征,运用主成分分析和方差分析对2016年近坝段水质时空变化特征进行了分析.主成分分析表明,水文因子流量（Q）、气温（T）、水位（Z）和水质因子（水温（WT）、pH、电导率（EC）、溶解氧（DO）、悬浮物（SS）、高锰酸盐指数（COD_Mn）、硫酸盐（SO₄^2-）、氟化物（F^-）、总硬度（T-Hard）、硝态氮（NO₃^--N）、总氮（TN）和硒（Se））的变化主导着研究区域水质变化;各采样点主成分得分和双因素方差分析结果显示研究区域水质因子时间变化主要呈现出季节和不同水库运行时期的差异.消落期（2-5月）,T-Hard、F^-、SO₄^2-和EC是影响河流水质变化的主导因子;汛期（7-8月）,Q、SS、COD_Mn、NO₃^--N、TN和Se是影响河流水质变化的主导因子;T和WT主导着汛末（9月）河流水质变化,并引起了DO等理化特性的变化;高水位运行期（12月）,Cl^-是影响河流水质变化的主导因子.现阶段,DO、有机污染物（COD_Mn）、无机盐（SO₄^2-和F^-）、营养盐类（NO₃^--N和TN）、类金属元素（Se）和水体的矿化程度（T-Hard）的变化主导着区域水质的变化,是三峡大坝近坝段水域水质的控制因子.方差分析表明,河流的理化特性（DO、pH和SS）、营养盐组分构成（NH₃-N和NO₃^--N）、无机盐类（EC和Cl^-）、石油类有机污染物及粪大肠菌群（FC）等指标在坝上与坝下断面存在显著性差异.气温、水温、降雨、含沙量的季节性影响因素和水库调度运行模式是影响近坝段水质时间差异的主要因子;空间差异主要受城区污染排放和三峡水库调度引起的坝上和坝下水文和水动力学条件差异影响.因此控制研究区域因人类活动等造成的外源性污染,并针对不同类污染物质的季节变化特征实施合理的水库运行方式是近坝段水质提升的关键.     

Enhanced hysteresis of suspended sediment transport in response to upstream damming: An example of the middle Yangtze River downstream of the Three Gorges Dam

The peak in sediment transport in alluvial rivers generally lags behind the peak in discharge. It is thus not clear how the hysteresis in the sediment/discharge relationship may be impacted by damming, which can fundamentally alter the water and sediment regimes in the downstream reaches of the river. In this study, a total of 500 flood events in the Yichang–Chenglingji Reach (YCR) of the Middle Yangtze River immediately downstream of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) are analysed to study the impacts of dam operations on the hysteresis of suspended sediment transport. Sediment rating curves, hysteresis patterns, as well as lag times, are investigated to determine the relationship between suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and flow discharge (Q) at different temporal scales, from inter-annual to individual flood events, for the pre- and post-TGD period from 1992 to 2002 and from 2003 to 2017, respectively. The results showed that the TGD operation decreased the frequency and magnitude of floods. The decrease in peak flow and increase in base flow weakened the flood contribution to the annual discharge by nearly 20%. However, the relative suspended sediment load contribution during flood events was much higher than the discharge contribution, and was little impacted by the dam. At seasonal and monthly scales, more than 80% of the suspended sediment was transported by ~65% of the water discharge in the summer and early autumn. The monthly SSC–Q relationship changed from a figure-eight to an anti-clockwise pattern after the construction of the TGD. For single flood events, the TGD operations significantly modified the downstream SSC–Q hysteresis patterns, increasing the frequency of anti-clockwise loops and the lag time between peak Q and peak SSC. These adjustments were mainly caused by differences in the propagation velocities of flood and sediment waves and the sediment ‘storage–mobilization–depletion’ process, whereas the influence of lateral diversions was small. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

三峡工程影响的初步评价

全世界都在评论三峡工程的修建,这些评论经常是不太客观的.本文从正负两方面对三峡工程进行了讨论,重点在防洪工程和区域经济方面.作者认为修建三峡工程作为发电的功能远大于防洪的功能.尽管上游来的洪峰经过三峡水库调蓄后能够被削弱.但中游的洪水风险仍然很大.一般而言,中游地区的洪水是大降水事件的产物.三峡工程不可能完全控制中游的洪水.三峡水库发电对中国中部及周边地区经济的可持续发展将产生积极作用,也将能确保东部沿海地区尤其是上海市电能的供给.     

三峡大坝运行前后西洞庭湖鱼类群落结构特征变化

鱼类是湿地生态系统中重要的组成部分,鱼类的群落结构动态直接反映湿地生境及外部驱动力的变化.三峡大坝运行后,长江中游江湖水文情势发生了变化,西洞庭湖地处洞庭湖西部,是受此变化影响最为直接的区域之一.为监测西洞庭湖鱼类群落结构变化特征,分析其变化原因,于2002年9月-2003年8月和2012年7月-2014年1月,在西洞庭湖进行了两次鱼类群落调查.共鉴定到鱼类7目17科91种,其中鲤形目最多,为58种,占总种数的63.7%.两次调查结果显示,三峡大坝运行后西洞庭湖鱼类物种数由85种下降到66种,Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Pielou均匀度指数分别由5.00和1.11下降为4.14和1.00,鱼类个体小型化趋势明显.两次调查物种数和个体数量最多的类群均为底层、定居性、杂食性鱼类,且其比例有增加的趋势,而肉食性鱼类、中上层鱼类、半洄游性鱼类和产粘性卵、沉性卵鱼类个体数量占比均有减小的趋势,其中中上层鱼类变化有显著性差异.三峡大坝运行后10年间,西洞庭湖鱼类多样性呈现下降趋势.研究表明,西洞庭湖鱼类生境丧失、捕捞胁迫,加剧了一些特定类群的生存压力,并反映于鱼类群落结构的变化.     

三峡工程调节作用对洞庭湖水面面积(2000-2010年)的影响

以洞庭湖为研究对象,以11年(2000-2010年)Terra/MODIS 16 d最大值合成的植被指数数据产品集MOD13Q1和同期城陵矶水文监测站的水位数据为主要数据源,通过对NDVI和NIR分别设定阈值的方法,实现了洞庭湖水面面积的综合提取,分析了三峡工程建设背景下,洞庭湖水面面积的年际变化特征和年内变化规律,再结合城陵矶水位数据,对水位与水面面积之间的定量关系进行了深入分析.研究结果表明:三峡工程的运行,很大程度上控制着洞庭湖的入湖水量,对洞庭湖防汛工作有利;在气候变化、三峡水库的共同影响下,洞庭湖区水面面积整体上呈减少趋势;水面面积与水位的拟合结果显示两者具有良好的相关性,其中2000-2003年两者的确定性系数达到0.975.     

后三峡工程时代的鄱阳湖湿地淹没动态演变

周期性的淹没或出露是洪泛型湖泊湿地的重要物理特征,湖泊湿地的淹没动态对其生态过程有显著影响。三峡工程运行以来,鄱阳湖湿地淹没动态发生了显著变化并引发了剧烈生态效应,而目前研究尚未对后三峡工程时代的鄱阳湖淹没动态演变进行系统量化,也制约了对其驱动下湖泊湿地生态系统演变原因与机制的了解。鉴于此,本研究结合水文站实测数据与遥感观测资料,以淹没开始时间、淹没结束时间以及淹没历时3个变量共同表征湖泊湿地淹没动态,从站点及全湖尺度分别对三峡工程运行后鄱阳湖湿地淹没动态的变化趋势、量级及显著性进行定量分析。结果表明:(1)2000—2020年间,鄱阳湖湿地淹没开始时间在64%的湖区被推迟,推迟速率约为1.10天/年;仅在入江水道及碟形湖小幅提前,且提前趋势并不显著;(2)鄱阳湖湿地淹没结束时间在72%的湖区显著提前,提前速率约为1.46天/年;仅在有闸控工程的碟形湖因延迟泄水而有所延迟;(3)受淹没开始时间推迟而结束时间提前的影响,鄱阳湖湿地淹没历时在70%的湖区显著缩短,缩短速率约为2.19天/年,而在有闸控工程的碟形湖则有所延长。本文从站点与全湖尺度分别给出了基于实测而非模型模拟的鄱阳湖淹没动态...     

Assessing the effects of the Three Gorges Dam and upstream inflow change on the downstream flow regime during different operation periods of the dam

As the largest hydroelectric dam in the world, the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) has raised wide concerns over the environmental and ecological impacts since its dramatic effect on the downstream flow regime of the Yangtze River. Since 2003, the TGD has progressed from the initial operation period to the full operation period, with different effects on the downstream flow regime over each period. Although the upstream inflow change (USIC) of the TGD is a possibly additional factor affecting the downstream flow regime, this has drawn little attention. This study aims to quantify the individual contributions of the TGD and the USIC to the changes of the downstream flow regime over different operation periods of the dam. Using the Muskingum routing model and the Xin'anjiang rainfall–run‐off model, we reconstruct the discharge unregulated by the TGD for the post‐TGD period from 2003 to 2015. On this basis, the effects of the TGD and the USIC on the downstream flow regime are quantitatively assessed. Benchmarked against the flow regime during the pre‐TGD period from 1955 to 2002, it is found that the TGD and the USIC play considerable and comparable roles in affecting the downstream flow regime during the whole post‐TGD period from 2003 to 2015. Furthermore, the TGD appears to have a limited effect on the downstream flow regime during the initial operation period from 2003 to 2008 relative to the USIC. In contrast, during the full operation period from 2009 to 2015, the TGD plays a dominant role in changing the downstream flow regime, although the effect of the USIC cannot be neglected. The findings of this study are helpful to understand the exact impacts of the TGD on the downstream flow regime, thereby facilitating the development of a rational strategy for operating the dam.     

三峡水库运用后荆江段非均匀悬沙恢复特性

三峡工程运用后,坝下游荆江段来沙量大幅度减小,处于严重的不平衡输沙状态,次饱和水流冲刷河床使悬沙量沿程恢复.基于实测水沙资料,分析了三峡工程运用后荆江段非均匀悬沙恢复特点.提出了恢复效率的概念用以表征悬移质沿程恢复的程度,并根据实测水沙资料计算了荆江段1994-2017年非均匀悬沙的恢复效率.结果表明：三峡工程运用前,荆江段各粒径组悬沙恢复效率绝对值均接近0,故该时期内各粒径组泥沙冲淤幅度不大;三峡工程运用后,各粒径组悬沙恢复效率绝对值均明显增大,且粗沙（d>0.125 mm）恢复效率绝对值远大于细沙（d<0.125 mm）,故粗沙恢复程度更高.这主要是由于荆江段床沙组成中粗沙部分含量大,而细沙含量小.最后建立了三峡水库蓄水后非均匀悬沙恢复效率与来水来沙条件（来沙系数）的关系,结果表明：各粒径组悬移质恢复效率均与来沙系数呈正相关关系,全沙、细沙和中沙的决定系数（R²）分别为0.89、0.67和0.69,相关性较高,故荆江段各粒径组悬移质泥沙恢复效率较大程度上受到来水来沙条件的影响.     

三峡工程运用后城陵矶-武汉河段河床调整及崩岸特点

为研究近期城汉河段河床调整及崩岸特点,利用实测水沙及地形等资料,采用河段平均的方法,计算了城汉河段断面形态的调整过程,主要包括平滩河槽形态调整及其与前期水沙条件之间的关系.计算结果表明：城汉河段平滩河宽由2003年的1710 m增加至2016年的1732 m,增幅为1.28%,平滩水深由2003年的16.47 m增加至2016年的17.95 m,增幅为9.0%;白螺矶、界牌、簰洲及武汉等河段河床调整以纵向冲深为主,但陆溪口河段河床调整横向展宽与纵向冲深同步发展;2006-2016年城汉河段多年平均崩退速率为5.5 m/a,崩岸总长19.6 km,占岸线总长的8.3%,右岸占55.3%.簰洲河段岸线崩长占城汉河段岸线崩退总长的75.9%.此外还分析了河床边界与水沙条件等因素对重点河段（簰洲河段）崩岸过程的影响,来水来沙条件占主导地位,局部区域崩岸的发生依赖于河床边界条件;建立了典型断面平滩河宽与前期水沙条件之间的经验关系,较好地反映了水沙条件变化对崩岸过程的影响.     

Multifractal features of the particle-size distribution of suspended sediment in the Three Gorges Reservoir,China

The Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR)in China is the largest hydroelectric project in the world,but the threat of sediment affecting ecological sustainability of the reservoir is a topic of concern.Sediment particlesize distribution(PSD)is informative in understanding sediment transport dynamics and biochemical functions.It is,therefore,important to quantitatively characterize the distribution of sediment particles.In the current study,fractal theory is applied to determine the PSD of suspended sediment in the TGR.The results show that the volumetric fractal dimension(D_v)exhibits a significant seasonal difference(p<0.05),reflecting sediment source and hydrodynamic sorting control the granularity of suspended sediment in the TGR.More specifically,suspended sediment particles are coarser in the wet season than in the dry season for the Yangtze River,and the opposite is true for the Ruxi River,an important tributary.The generalized dimension spectrum,D(q)-q,and multifractal singularity spectrum,f[α(q)]-α(q),were calculated for each suspended sediment sample.Thereafter,the parameters,D(0),D(1),D(2),α(0),Δα(q),andΔf[α(q)],were determined to characterize the PSD.As a result,the coarser suspended sediment during the wet season is characterised by a more complex PSD pattern,with a wider range of particle sizes,greater heterogeneity,and greater homogeneity of distribution over the measurement interval.However,the multifractal structure of the PSD of suspended sediment is more complex during the dry season than during the wet season,with higher local dispersion and variability.The findings of the current study highlight that multifractal analysis provides important insight for understanding the PSD of suspended sediment in the TGR.     

Effects of the normal operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir on wetland inundation in Dongting Lake,China: a modelling study

Abstract

The operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) is an important driver of the recent hydrological changes in the lowlands of Dongting Lake, China. Nevertheless, there has been no convincing study on the quantitative effects of the TGR regulation on the wetland inundation process. Here, the temporal and spatial patterns of the response of wetland inundation in Dongting Lake to the TGR regulation are addressed in detail using a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model, which can accurately reproduce the flooding and drying processes. The results show that temporal patterns of wetland inundation are altered by the TGR regulation, especially in the water pre-releasing period (May to early June) and the water storing period (late September to November). Spatially heterogeneous effects are also observed in Dongting Lake. These findings can help us to take measures at an early stage to effectively deal with the possible adverse effects of the normal operation of the TGR on Dongting Lake.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor A. Porporato

Citation Lai, X., Jiang, J., and Huang, Q., 2013. Effects of the normal operation of Three Gorges Reservoir on wetland inundation in Dongting Lake, China: a modelling study. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (7), 1467–1477.     

Effects of the grain-for-green program on soil erosion in China

Severe soil erosion is a serious environmental problem in China.In 1999 the Chinese government implemented the Grain-for-Green Program (herein referred to as the Program),a well rounded program of ecol...     

Composition and flux of suspended organic matter in the middle and lower reaches of the Changjiang (Yangtze River) — impact of the Three Gorges Dam and the role of tributaries and channel erosion

To investigate the sources of particulate organic matter (POM) and the impact of Three Gorges Dam (TGD), two large lakes and erosion processes on determining the composition and flux of POM in low water discharge periods along the middle and lower Changjiang, suspended particulate samples were collected along the middle and lower reaches of the Changjiang (Yangtze River) in January 2008. Organic geochemistry of bulk sediment (particulate organic carbon, organic carbon to nitrogen molar ratio (C/N), stable carbon isotope (δ¹³C) and grain size) and biomarker of bulk sediment (lignin phenols) were measured to trace the sources of POM. The range of C/N ratios (6.4–8.9), δ¹³C (?24.3‰ – ?26.2‰) and lignin phenols concentration Λ8 (0.45 mg/100 mg OC‐2.00 mg/100 mg OC) of POM suggested that POM originated from the mixture of soil, plant tissue and autochthonous organic matter (OM) during the dry season. POM from lakes contained a higher portion of terrestrial OM than the mainstream, which was related to sand mining and hydropower erosion processes. A three end‐member model based on δ¹³C and Λ8 was performed. The results indicated that soil contributed approximately 50% of OM to the POM, which is the dominant OM source in most stations. POM composition was affected by total suspended matter (TSM) and grain size composition, and the direct OM input from two lakes and channel erosion induced OM. The lower TSM concentration in January 2008 was mainly caused by seasonal variations; the impact from the TGD in the dry season was relatively small. A box model indicated that more than 90% of the terrestrial OM transported by the Changjiang in January 2008 was from the middle and lower drainage basins. Channel erosion induced OM, and contributions from Poyang Lake were the major terrestrial OM sources in the dry season. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Downstream geomorphic impact of the Three Gorges Dam: With special reference to the channel bars in the Middle Yangtze River

The Three Gorges Dam (TGD) has altered downstream flow–sediment regimes and led to significant changes in the morphodynamic processes in the Middle Yangtze River (MYR). However, due to the complexity of this large river, the driving forces and implication of the morphodynamic processes remain insufficiently understood. This study selected two typical meandering and bar-braided reaches, the Zhicheng (ZC) and Shashi (SS) reach, to examine their responses to the TGD operation. The results showed that in the post-dam period significant channel erosion occurred with a higher erosion rate in the ZC reach (closer to the TGD) compared with the SS reach. The area of the Guanzhou mid-channel bar (ZC reach) and the Sanba mid-channel bar (SS reach) shrank by 30 and 90% from 2003 to 2015, respectively. The increased fluvial erosion intensity due to the reduction in suspended sediment concentration (SSC) drove the shrinkage of the mid-channel bars, as demonstrated by empirical relationships between bar geometry and fluvial erosion intensity. An increase of 22 days per year in the frequency of post-dam medium-to-high discharges (10 000–25 000 m³ s⁻¹), and associated with the reduction in SSC, jointly led to the greater erosion at the convex (inner) banks than the concave (outer) banks, which has negatively affected the designed navigation channels at the concave banks by decreasing their discharge partitioning ratios. The post-dam water level at a given high discharge (>25 000 m³ s⁻¹) showed no evident change, but the water level at a given low discharge (<10 000 m³ s⁻¹) decreased. The reduction in water levels at low flows can affect water supply and riverine ecosystems in the MYR. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.